[Slokais]

In the basement of the Thomas IV Church of Newton, there was a small gathering every Thursday night. Thomas IV had long held a reputation, as one of the better places of mass in all of South Princeton, and such was the nicest in the entire Township. At the center was a couple, Howard and Mary Jonas who had been profiled in a 2008 issue of the Holy Times as “caretakers to the world’s children”. Both had brought over 60 adopted children to their church alone and almost 1,000 to the Diocese of the Outer Islands alone. Starting in 2006, they began a program called “World Cultural Hour” for these children from improvised backgrounds.
“Elizabeth,” Miss Mary asked
“I have had a good day so far”
“You just started at Simon XV Secondary, right dear?”
“Yes, lots of new friends”
“Well remember the best practices, we discussed last week”
“About boys?” Elizabeth asked
A couple of others in the group laughed.
“Yes, dear. Aequinta’s?”
Aequinta’s was a 19-year-old originally from Lauchenoria, he had unfortunately been named after the Patriarch of the Church of Sanctaira.
“I started work, last week at a restaurant. However, I feel the temptation of sodomite’s within my pure heart”
Even though same-sex marriage had recently been legalized, a large portion of Slokasian’s including Catholics still viewed the idea of being gay as sinful. Years later Elizabeth would have to overcome her Catholic faith, although for now she quietly listened.

At that moment, something Elizabeth would remember for years to come happened. Sarah, a 9-year-old from Lao Sansong came running in. She had tears in her eyes.
“How could you, Miss Mary, How could you”
Miss Mary ran to Sarah
“What’s wrong dear”
“You took me from my Daddy, you kidnapped me”
“No,” Miss Mary said shocked
At that moment, a grown Sansongian man in a black suit and tie came storming into the room.
“Get away from my daughter,” he said pushing Miss Mary away.
At that moment, some of the others in the room jumped up, as the man carried Sarah away still crying.
Everyone just sat in silence for a moment, before a group of police officers came into the room. Already in handcuffs was Father Howard.
“No, please” Miss Mary begged
“Ma’am, you are being charged by the Province of South Princeton and the Ministry of Justice with accessory to kidnapping in at least 15 counts.” another officer said, placing handcuffs on Miss Mary.
“You will be transferred to the police station, and everything from now on can be used as evidence in future criminal proceedings. Si necesitas este mensaje-” The officer continued escorting her outside.

Over the next few weeks, there were many hard conversations. Sarah returned to her family almost immediately in Lao Sansong, year’s later Elizabeth would look her up and find that Sarah had changed her name back to her birth name and was studying to become a Gumatara, a teacher with the Arikata Faith. Others found their families in time, yet Elizabeth stayed waiting. At the time she traveled to Kolda, only a few in that original group had yet to find their birth families. Dean who was barely 3 years old at the time of the arrests, was originally from a small fishing community in Nuiqust. The town had been destroyed by a flood, around his birth with the family fate’s being unknown. Mbaye thought about all these things as approached her father.



“Excuse me” Mbaye asked in French
“Excuse you, for speaking the tongue of the colonizer's,” the man said.
Mbaye sighed and spoke one of the few words of Kango she knew
“Daughter, I am Daughter”
That got the man’s attention, who then turned.
“Mbaye?”
“Yes,” Mbaye said, realizing this was her father.
Mbaye quickly rushed forward and hugged her father, who half-heartedly hugged her back.
“Please, forgive, I know little Kango” Mbaye said
Her father said something in Kango, however, she did hear “Mother”
“Where” Mbaye asked, like a little child who longed for her mother in the night.
Mbaye’s father spoke this time in French, after carefully looking around.
“The others must not know of this conversation, I never spoke French to you”
“Yes, father”
“Your mother is inside the house if the priests ask, who you are say “Eliba ware”
“Eliba ware?” Mbaye repeated
“In worship, you are worship of the Sprit”

Mbaye was left confused, was her father like the Mega-pastor she saw on billboards on the way to Diawara? Then again, each preached in French not Kango, only true revolutionaries, those who had been defeated by Gano still rejected French. Who was her father?